The high-tech thermostat created by one of the founding members of the iPod team will soon be sold in Apple's retail stores, according to a new report.

iLounge says it's heard that Nest Labs' thermostat, which went on sale near the end of last year, is headed to Apple's stores and will be sold for its usual $249 retail price.

Apple has more than 360 retail stores around the world. The extra point of sale would add to the Nest's current sales options, which include the company's own online store, local installers, and Lowes stores and Lowes.com as part of a deal announced earlier this month.

A Nest spokeswoman said the company did not comment on rumors. CNET has contacted Apple on the matter, and will update this post if we hear back.

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The high-tech thermostat has deep ties with Apple, as it was founded by former Apple engineers. Last month, the company also hired Apple's former chief intellectual property officer Richard Lutton, Jr. The company is currentlythe target of a lawsuit from rival Honeywell, which claims that the product infringes on several of its patents.

It's not out of bounds to imagine Nest as a good fit among the products Apple retail stores stock in their third-party products and accessory walls. The product can be remote controlled from smartphones, including Apple's iPhone, allowing owners to manage and tweak settings even when away from the house.

About the author

Josh Lowensohn joined CNET in 2006 and now covers Apple. Before that, Josh wrote about everything from new Web start-ups, to remote-controlled robots that watch your house. Prior to joining CNET, Josh covered breaking video game news, as well as reviewing game software. His current console favorite is the Xbox 360.
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